Ladies, lets take a look at your average day: your alarm goes off and you hit the snooze button a few times, then take...

Ladies, lets take a look at your average day: your alarm goes off and you hit the snooze button a few times, then take a two minute shower to make up for sleeping in. You skip breakfast because you’re late and try to put on your makeup in the car. You struggle through the morning, suffering each time you walk past the snack machines because your stomach is practically eating itself due to not having breakfast. You nearly fall asleep at your desk while struggling to get your work done. Eventually, you get to your lunch break and feel more satisfied after eating. But the “food high” only lasts for so long and before you know it, you’re hitting that slump an hour later. When you get home, you are too exhausted to do much of anything and hit the sack, only to do the same thing all over again tomorrow. Does this sound familiar to you? Well, there is a solution: exercising in the morning can be a great way to stave off exhaustion, help you increase metabolism, and in general make you feel more alert. Most of us don’t like waking up early in the morning and skipping out on the precious REM (rapid eye movement) sleep we need to be truly well rested. Very few of us are “morning people” and therefore getting up early to go to the gym, yoga studio, or just going for a quick jog or rapid-pace walk around your neighborhood can sound like a nightmare to many. But there are some real benefits to not hitting that snooze button and getting into the gym for a quick round before heading off to work. 1. First of all, working out in the morning gives you peace and quiet. Most people aren’t willing to get up in the mornings to exercise, so the gym or park is basically empty. In the gym, you’ll have your pick at machines (for once). Take advantage of this opportunity to get a good, uninterrupted workout. You’ll be able to focus more on yourself, your thoughts, and getting a great workout rather than the people sweating it out on either side of you. 2. Exercising in the morning helps get things moving. If you find yourself getting up and going to work in a sluggish mood every morning, try running or jogging beforehand. Exercise will wake you up and energize your brain, preparing it for the tasks later on in the day. You will be more willing to work if you’re actually awake, not still drowsy from bed. Exercising in the mornings also gives you a chance to put together a mental checklist of things you have to do at work later in the day, which can increase your productivity. You’ll have a list to follow and you’ll actually be awake to do it. 3. While exercising in the morning helps get your brain moving, it can also help to keep your digestive system up to speed. By taking a few laps in the morning, you won’t hit those patches in the day where you can’t stay out of the bathroom. 4. Working out in the morning is the first thing off your list. If you do it first thing in the morning, then you won’t have to worry about it the rest of the day. Nothing is worse than being at work and trying to squeeze in a workout between dinner and bedtime. 5. If you’re one of those people who can’t stand eating breakfast in the morning, but find yourself getting hungry mid-morning, working out will encourage you to eat. Working out on an empty stomach isn’t the best thing to do, since it can cause you to lose muscle. Eating breakfast before working out can boost your metabolism and burn calories, while also holding down your appetite. Say so long to those ten o’clock hunger pangs. You’ll be able to work straight through without getting the temptation to hit up the snack machine in the lounge. If these reasons aren’t enough to get you in the gym before work, then consider this: studies show that women who work out in the morning are more productive, have a better attitude, and are less cranky by the end of the day. Plus, they end up looking great after a few weeks. So ladies, take this “me time” to improve your quality of life. Hitting the snooze button is tempting, but don’t do it. Jump out of bed and head to the gym to start off your day the right way.